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Post by Admin on Apr 8, 2023 11:59:51 GMT -5
If the Hawks lose to the Heat the C's will meet the Heat on Saturday.
The Hawks will then play the winner of Raptors vs Bulls for the right to face the #1 seeded Bucks.
Whichever team loses Tues (Heat or Hawks) will have a tough task ahead of them having to then play the Raps or Bulls only to face the Bucks all within 5 days should they advance. Set up for a Bucks win for sure in Round I.
As a C's fan, naturally I'd prefer to play the Hawks over the Heat based on historical experience between us and the Heat in previous playoff games.
That said, the Hawks roster has the talent to overcome the well coached and mentally tough Heat despite the Heat's past success come playoff time.
Warning: Be careful what you wish for ...
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Post by Admin on Apr 12, 2023 12:07:50 GMT -5
Why Celtics shouldn't want to face Hawks: The Hawks have their flaws, but scoring isn't one of them. With seven players averaging double figures, Atlanta is a deeper offensive team than Miami: Young and Murray are one of the league's most talented backcourts; Bogdan Bogdanovic is an excellent outside shooter; Clint Capela is a dynamic rim-runner; and Hunter and John Collins both are long, offensive-minded wings averaging north of 15 points per game. When the Hawks are fully healthy and fully motivated (and that's a big if), they're capable of scoring in bunches and would test Boston's at-times-inconsistent defense. Why Celtics should want to face Hawks: Why are the Hawks .500 if they have such a good offense? You know the answer: Their defense. Atlanta's D hasn't improved under new head coach Quin Snyder, and it allowed 120 points or more in half of its games (41 of 82) this season. Three of those games were against the Celtics, who cruised to double-digit victories in both of the games they played with most of their starters on the floor. www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/what-celtics-fans-should-watch-heat-hawks-nba-play-tournament-game
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Post by petey62 on Apr 12, 2023 13:31:53 GMT -5
Miami played like crap in the play-in game so I'm not overreacting to the ATL victory. ATL played a really good game highlighted by being aggressive on the offensive boards.
The ATL backcourt also played well but Herro, Vincent, Lowery, and Strus aren't on the same defensive level as Smart, White, and Brogdon. And I'd even add Hauser who has proven to be a hard worker on the defensive end.
Should be a fun series but, IF THE CELTICS ARE LASER FOCUS, we should have very little problem with ATL.
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Post by Admin on Apr 12, 2023 21:15:56 GMT -5
Celtics-Hawks: Eastern Conference First Round Playoff Series Preview Boston is heavy favorites as they start their run to Banner 18 By Keith P Smith
Health Outlook
Both teams come in remarkably healthy. Jaylen Brown is the lone Celtic dealing with anything approaching a worrisome injury, as he has a laceration on his right hand. Boston has said he should be good to go by Game 1.
Marcus Smart missed the last few games of the regular season with a sore neck, but he’s ready to play. And Rob Williams seems past his regular season injury bugaboos and he’s also ready for the playoffs.
The Hawks are coming in fully healthy and ready to go.
Starting Guards
Marcus Smart and Derrick White vs Trae Young and Dejounte Murray
Derrick White was the only player of this group to appear in all three games, and the third game was a cameo appearance. Marcus Smart played in just one game, while Trae Young and Dejounte Murray both played in the first two games. As such, the middle game of the series is probably the closest representation of what we can expect in the playoffs, as far as strategy and matchups go.
When Boston has the ball, they’ll hunt Trae Young. That will come with both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown seeking direct switches through screen actions. But Boston won’t make it that simple, otherwise we may see Atlanta pre-switch and put Young in a spot where he won’t have to guard one of the wings. And we’ll also see the Celtics directly attack Young with White driving or Smart going at him off drives or direct on-ball actions.
Over the years, a pretty effective strategy Boston has used is Smart in post-ups against Young. He’s got enough size on Young that he can back him down for short shots, or force help to come. And, of course, if Young finds himself caught in rotation and on a big or a wing, the Celtics have had success finding that player too.
Murray is easily Atlanta’s best perimeter defender. There’s a good chance he’ll end up in a cross-match on Tatum or Brown quite a bit. That will put one of the Hawks wings (De’Andre Hunter, Saddiq Bey, Bogdan Bogdanovic) on White or Smart. That’s an immediate advantage for Boston. Both White and Smart will find success by driving those players for scores or to get the Hawks scrambling in rotation.
When Atlanta is on offense, Boston will probably guard this duo pretty straight up. Both Smart and White will see plenty of time on Young. In lineups when Young is working with Murray and playing off-ball, expect to see lots of switching, as the Celtics will live with whatever the result is, while trying to work back to White or Smart picking up Young to end the possession.
It may seem blasphemous, but Young might be the easier player to set coverages for. He doesn’t really surprise you very often. That’s not to say he’s an easy cover, because he isn’t. But Young isn’t mixing up his approach all that much. He’ll shoot deep pullups or he’ll drive for scores or lobs. It’s really, really important that Boston is ready to guard him as soon as he hits halfcourt.
Murray, on the other hand, is very herky-jerky. He doesn’t want to shoot from the outside very often, but he loves to get to a midrange pullup and he’s very slithery on his drives to the rim. Murray is comfortable taking on players for scores himself or setting up his teammates at the basket. The versatility of his offensive game makes him a little harder to plan for, because you don’t really know what’s coming.
Advantage: Even
Despite how it might seem, this matchup is more even than you might think. White and Smart are the superior defensive players, and it’s by a pretty wide margin. Young is the best offensive player by a mile, and he piled up good counting stats against Boston this year. But he didn’t shoot it all that well.
The Celtics will run a lot of different looks at Young, just to keep him off-balance. But when it matters most, it’ll be Smart of White picking him up. If Atlanta wants to run things through Murray with Young spectating, that’s something the Celtics will happily live with.
If White and Smart are making shots, or setting up teammates, this matchup will be closer to a wash, even if the counting stats will favor the Hawks guards because of their volume and usage. If the Hawks are going to have any chance in this series, this is the matchup they need to dominate.
Starting Forwards
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown vs John Collins and De’Andre Hunter
It’s often said the team with the best player in a series has an advantage. Well, the Celtics have the two best players in this series. Jayson Tatum has had several big games against the Hawks over the years, while Jaylen Brown has dominated against his hometown team over the past few years. There’s no reason to think that won’t continue in this matchup.
John Collins is a pure four, so when Boston goes with one big, that puts Collins in a tough spot. Because the Hawks already have to hide Young to some extent, that puts Collins on an island. He’ll have to guard either Tatum or Brown and that’s a mismatch Boston will look to exploit. It’s not everyone’s favorite offensive approach, but this is a spot where quick isolations to get Tatum or Brown working in space against Collins are a good thing. Note: “quick isolations”. Not the ones where one guy holds it, while the defense loads to the ball for 20 seconds. Run something to get Tatum or Brown on the wide side of the floor and quickly clear out for them to get to work.
Hunter is probably better against bigger wings, as he’s a bit slow of foot against the quicker wings. Again, advantage Boston, albeit not as big as against Collins.
If Atlanta goes to Dejounte Murray on Tatum or Brown, that just leaves an attack point for Derrick White or Marcus Smart or Malcolm Brogdon. There really isn’t a good answer for the Hawks, as none of their small-ball options are very good defenders either.
When the Hawks have the ball, Boston needs to be solid and smart. You can’t just leave Collins and Hunter open at the arc, because they’ll beat you from out there if they find a rhythm. Mostly, you have to be prepared to help on drives by Young and Murray, but within a step or two of a good closeout.
Tatum and Brown also need to hit the glass in this series. Collins will pogo-stick his way into offensive rebound after offensive rebound if Boston doesn’t get a body on him. Occasionally, Tatum and Brown get a little runout happy on offense. That can’t happen or the Hawks will clean up on the offensive boards.
Advantage: Boston
This is Boston’s single biggest advantage in the series. Atlanta doesn’t have a good answer for either Tatum or Brown. And you can’t take the approach of “let them get theirs and lock up everyone else” because the other Celtics are too good.
If Collins and Hunter can hang in here defensively to some extent, and if they can get on the offensive glass and hit their shots, they can lessen the margin a bit. But considering they’ve been shaky shooters this season, the first two parts seem unlikely to happen. And that’s a huge problem for the Hawks.
Starting Center
Al Horford vs Clint Capela
Al Horford has had an outstanding season. He’s not only been the best shooting big in the NBA season, but he’s also been one of the best shooters in the NBA period. And while he’s no longer quite as good switching out to speedy guards as he once was, Horford remains a smart and very good defender overall.
Capela is basically Horford’s exact opposite. If he’s out by the arc, it’s because he’s setting or defending a screen. He’s shown signs of slipping, as he’s not quite as good at getting out and hedging on pick-and-roll ballhandlers as he once was. Simply put: Capela wants to be as close to the rim on both ends of the floor as possible.
And that’s how Boston will attack him on both ends. Whether it’s Horford pulling him out [to] the arc with his shooting, or Rob Williams operating as an above-the-break facilitator or another Boston big doing a combo of Horford and Williams, Capela is going to have to work in space in this series.
On offense, Capela is a screen setter and rim runner. And he’ll feast on offensive rebounds if you let him. It’s absolutely imperative that Boston bumps and chips him on his rolls to the basket, and that they get a body on Capela when a shot goes up.
Advantage: Boston
It’s hard to survive in the playoffs as a non-shooter. Defenses are too good and can game plan you off the floor. Horford is the far better all-around player and Boston’s five-out style will put Capela in tough spots.
This might be one where you see the Hawks go to a quick sub and put Onyeka Okongwu in, and then bring Capela back to match minutes with Rob Williams. In that situation, Okongwu, who is more comfortable outside on both ends, can matchup with Horford. Then Capela can spend his time banging bodies with Williams in the paint.
Trae Young seems like the most obvious attack point for the Celtics in this series. And we aren’t going to suggest anything different. But Boston is going to attack Capela a lot too. If Horford makes shots, and nothing suggest he won’t, and the Celtics can control Capela on the boards, Boston wins this matchup handily.
Reserves
Malcolm Brogdon, Rob Williams, Grant Williams, Sam Hauser vs Bogdan Bogdanovic, Onyeka Okongwu, Saddiq Bey, Jalen Johnson
Boston’s depth is better than the Hawks, almost man for man. The eight players above are the most likely to see meaningful action in this series. And if either team needs to go deeper into their bench, Boston’s advantage here only widens. We saw that in the regular season finale.
Much like the Celtics starting guards and wings, Malcolm Brogdon should find little resistance in getting to his spots in this series. Not to belabor the point too much, but Dejounte Murray can only guard one ballhandler at a time.
Rob Williams is looking like ROB again over the last couple of weeks. He’ll make a big impact on defense by closing down the paint and recovering out to shooters. And Williams’ vertical threat at the rim gives Boston an outlet they haven’t always had this year.
Grant Williams got over his midseason slump and has played really well in recent weeks. Because the Hawks forwards trend towards being bigger, he’ll see plenty of minutes as the Celtics third big in this series. And his shot-making is always a welcome sight.
Some seem to think Joe Mazzulla may cut the rotation to eight players, and he may, but there’s plenty of room for Sam Hauser to make an impact. Simply put: Boston will need his shooting on the floor at some point. And Hauser has held up well enough on defense that he’s not a flashing red light to attack for the Hawks.
Bogdan Bogdanovic is the Hawks version of Brogdon. He carries a lot of the scoring load when Trae Young sits. Boston can’t lose him, or Bogdanovic will make them pay with jumpers and cuts. But the Celtics perimeter defenders will make it hard for him to find shots. And Bogdanovic is going to find it hard on defense with the Celtics perimeter playmakers.
Onyeka Okongwu is rapidly developing into a really good player. He’s a rebounding menace and he’s a pretty good shot-blocker too. Because he’s more comfortable guarding at the level of the ball than Clint Capela is, Okongwu will probably play a lot against the Celtics screen-heavy offense.
Saddiq Bey is the classic trick-or-treat reserve. If he’s making shots, he can win a game for Atlanta. If he’s not, he won’t stop shooting until it’s far too late. He loves to get out in transition, so that’s something Boston will have to be wary of.
Johnson has split rotation minutes with A.J. Griffin and the two youngsters will probably both see some minutes. Johnson has played more lately, but the Hawks may not need a fourth or fifth forward very often. That could open minutes for Griffin, who has consistently made shots, to see some minutes.
Advantage: Boston
We said it at the top of this section. The Celtics depth is just better than the Hawks. Joe Mazzulla knows who he can trust, and he also knows if he needs to go [to] his 10-12, he’s going to be fine. Quin Snyder doesn’t have that same level of depth he can get to, even in his top-eight or nine guys.
Reserve-heavy portions of the game bridging the first and second quarters and the third and fourth quarters, are where Boston should be able to extend leads. They should win this matchup by a decent margin.
Coaching
Joe Mazzulla vs Quin Snyder
Joe Mazzulla won the second-most games of any first-year Celtics coach, behind Bill Russell. That’s pretty good company.
Yes, we’ve all griped about Mazzulla’s lack of timeouts and some of his rotation decisions. But it’s important to remember that he was figuring everything out on the fly, in a job he never expected to have. And he’s improved greatly as the season has gone along.
Quin Snyder is still figuring things out with the Hawks team. You can tell he doesn’t really know what he has on a somewhat regular basis. Atlanta is still playing a mix of Nate McMillan’s stuff, while incorporating Snyder’s schemes. That’s a tough spot to be in as the playoffs start.
Advantage: Even
If Snyder had been in Atlanta the whole year, he’d be a major advantage over Mazzulla. The experience, especially in the playoffs, would just be too much.
But Snyder has coached the Hawks for all of 22 games. He has more overall experience than Mazzulla, but Mazzulla has more experience with his team. That makes this an even matchup.
Prediction
Celtics in four games.
The Boston Celtics are a far better team than the Atlanta Hawks. They showed that in sweeping the regular season series. And with both teams coming into the series at relatively full health, the gap between the teams is even wider than it was in the regular season.
If Atlanta is going to have a chance, they have to turn games into a track meet. The Hawks only hope is to win shootouts, because they aren’t going to hold the Celtics in check enough to hang in. One thing to note: Despite the presence of Trae Young, the Hawks don’t take a lot of three-pointers. Every guy they have that isn’t Young would rather get inside. Three-point variance will play a major factor in this series.
The Hawks will also have to crash the offensive glass with abandon. That may not work, because Boston is the best defensive rebounding team in the NBA. But it’s more of that all-offense approach that seems to be Atlanta’s only potential path to victory.
Trae Young may go off and win a game almost all by himself. Boston may have a game where they get super sloppy or one of those 8-for-40 nights from behind the arc. But the Celtics offense-defense combo is just too much for the Hawks to overcome and that’s why we’re thinking sweep.
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Post by drewski6 on Apr 13, 2023 13:54:09 GMT -5
I, like the writer of this, is salivating at the matchups - when we DONT go double big.
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Post by cole on Apr 13, 2023 14:00:42 GMT -5
I'm having a hard time calling Quin vs Joe as an even matchup. Maybe since Quin hasn't been with the team for that long.
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Post by drewski6 on Apr 14, 2023 8:41:37 GMT -5
C'mon guys, I want to read more of your analytics and takes. This is a good thought provoking piece.
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Post by drewski6 on Apr 14, 2023 8:54:54 GMT -5
This year, John Collins had a surprisingly bad year, for a 25 year old. Not to imply he's bad, but he set career lows in points per game, rebounds, fg%, 3pt%, FT attempts per minutes played. I wouldnt expect all those drop-offs for a player entering his prime years.
So he's not getting to the line like he use to, his scoring volume went down, and his scoring efficiency went down (usually efficiency goes up when volume goes down - as a player is taking less shots, so you'd think they're being more selective).
He was never known for his defense. 6.5 boards/game from a PF is nothing to write home about.
He cant cover Tatum.
Capella is what he is. A cleanup guy. Which I consider to be a role player (I know not everone agrees w me that role is a "role player"). But he's not really part of the offensive play calling. Hes just like a safety net, so if the offensive play doesnt work, he may be able to salvage the possession with an ORB + putback. Again, like Collins, not implying he's bad.
But the strength of the Hawks, to me, is in their guards. Both can penetrate w ease. So I think we'll have to stay in front of them. This is why I like Smart + White out there together and just one big. Collins and Capella dont scare me at all. When they have the ball, the 2 guards are scary. But neither (like Collins) are known for their D.
Im expecting high scoring series. I think the true key to victory will be staying in front of D.Murray and Trae. Thats a shifty backcourt that can penetrate.
I agree with the article and want to see Smart play some bully ball. An area where he's underrated. He's probably one of our post-up guys. Because Rob doesnt have the moves to post up and Horford spends most of his time at the perimeter. Tatum may lead the team in post up points, but I would assume Smart is up there.
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Post by dfries13 on Apr 14, 2023 10:57:12 GMT -5
C'mon guys, I want to read more of your analytics and takes. This is a good thought provoking piece. It says Boston in four or a sweep. I'm already looking at the second round this should be over before it starts.. Talent wise we win easily I expect the Hawks to win one myself.. To your remark . Tatum posts up? Sence when? He drives from deep to get most of his shots in the paint. He rarely posts up. Smart might post up a lot or at least he should against the Hawks backcourt.. My conclusion. It will be easier on the eyes than watching the Sox this week.
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Post by cole on Apr 14, 2023 11:13:29 GMT -5
This year, John Collins had a surprisingly bad year, for a 25 year old. Not to imply he's bad, but he set career lows in points per game, rebounds, fg%, 3pt%, FT attempts per minutes played. I wouldnt expect all those drop-offs for a player entering his prime years. So he's not getting to the line like he use to, his scoring volume went down, and his scoring efficiency went down (usually efficiency goes up when volume goes down - as a player is taking less shots, so you'd think they're being more selective). He was never known for his defense. 6.5 boards/game from a PF is nothing to write home about. He cant cover Tatum. Capella is what he is. A cleanup guy. Which I consider to be a role player (I know not everone agrees w me that role is a "role player"). But he's not really part of the offensive play calling. Hes just like a safety net, so if the offensive play doesnt work, he may be able to salvage the possession with an ORB + putback. Again, like Collins, not implying he's bad. But the strength of the Hawks, to me, is in their guards. Both can penetrate w ease. So I think we'll have to stay in front of them. This is why I like Smart + White out there together and just one big. Collins and Capella dont scare me at all. When they have the ball, the 2 guards are scary. But neither (like Collins) are known for their D. Im expecting high scoring series. I think the true key to victory will be staying in front of D.Murray and Trae. Thats a shifty backcourt that can penetrate. I agree with the article and want to see Smart play some bully ball. An area where he's underrated. He's probably one of our post-up guys. Because Rob doesnt have the moves to post up and Horford spends most of his time at the perimeter. Tatum may lead the team in post up points, but I would assume Smart is up there. Smart is our best paint scorer, unfortunately. But Trae is just the kind of guy to bully.
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Post by drewski6 on Apr 14, 2023 12:26:16 GMT -5
C'mon guys, I want to read more of your analytics and takes. This is a good thought provoking piece. It says Boston in four or a sweep. I'm already looking at the second round this should be over before it starts.. Talent wise we win easily I expect the Hawks to win one myself.. To your remark . Tatum posts up? Sence when? He drives from deep to get most of his shots in the paint. He rarely posts up. Smart might post up a lot or at least he should against the Hawks backcourt.. My conclusion. It will be easier on the eyes than watching the Sox this week. Jokic leads the NBA in pts/game from the postup with 6.5. There is a sizeable drop off to #2 (Embiid) who has 5.1. #3 is AD at 4. There are like 3 more guys around 4. Then it drops off again. Giannis at #10 is about 3. Thats not 3 buckets, thats 3 pts. So 1.5 successful post-ups per game from Giannis (which is good for top 10 in NBA). Tatum is at 1.7 pts from post up, #33 in NBA and top 20 among non centers. I think that honestly, nobody really posts up anymore. But among PF, Tatum is in the upper half. There are 30 teams, lets assume the average rotation is 9 guys. So thats 270. He ranks 33rd, which is top 12% of entire NBA. Furthermore of the 33 in front of him, 17 are centers. So if we remove them , hes #16. Lets assume that the average # of noncenters in rotations is 7. Times 30 teams that 210. So among non centers, hes in the top 8% (16/210). So I would say he posts up an average amount for a PF, more than 88% of the entire NBA, and more than 92% of non-center NBA players who are top 9 in their respective rotations. Granted that his minutes are helping him here.
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Post by drewski6 on Apr 14, 2023 12:30:26 GMT -5
but yes , he does lead the team.
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Post by drewski6 on Apr 14, 2023 12:31:21 GMT -5
Smart is 2, JB is 3 on the team (pts from post up per game).
Horf, Blake, GWill are #s 4-6 (on the celtics)
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Post by dfries13 on Apr 14, 2023 13:11:55 GMT -5
It says Boston in four or a sweep. I'm already looking at the second round this should be over before it starts.. Talent wise we win easily I expect the Hawks to win one myself.. To your remark . Tatum posts up? Sence when? He drives from deep to get most of his shots in the paint. He rarely posts up. Smart might post up a lot or at least he should against the Hawks backcourt.. My conclusion. It will be easier on the eyes than watching the Sox this week. Jokic leads the NBA in pts/game from the postup with 6.5. There is a sizeable drop off to #2 (Embiid) who has 5.1. #3 is AD at 4. There are like 3 more guys around 4. Then it drops off again. Giannis at #10 is about 3. Thats not 3 buckets, thats 3 pts. So 1.5 successful post-ups per game from Giannis (which is good for top 10 in NBA). Tatum is at 1.7 pts from post up, #33 in NBA and top 20 among non centers. I think that honestly, nobody really posts up anymore. But among PF, Tatum is in the upper half. There are 30 teams, lets assume the average rotation is 9 guys. So thats 270. He ranks 33rd, which is top 12% of entire NBA. Furthermore of the 33 in front of him, 17 are centers. So if we remove them , hes #16. Lets assume that the average # of noncenters in rotations is 7. Times 30 teams that 210. So among non centers, hes in the top 8% (16/210). So I would say he posts up an average amount for a PF, more than 88% of the entire NBA, and more than 92% of non-center NBA players who are top 9 in their respective rotations. Granted that his minutes are helping him here. Interesting stats and i agree hardly anyone posts up anymore. Tatum also plays the three i gonna guess about 33% of the time.. Does he post up more or less at SF than PF? Who and what determines what a post up is? I love numbers but remember the fuzzy number comment a few years back.? Granted it came from a person with a low IQ but it was an honest reply i think..
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Post by drewski6 on Apr 14, 2023 13:33:54 GMT -5
Im taking ESPNs word for it re: what counts as a post-up. I agree that it may be subject to someones interpretation.
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Post by cole on Apr 14, 2023 13:38:04 GMT -5
Jokic leads the NBA in pts/game from the postup with 6.5. There is a sizeable drop off to #2 (Embiid) who has 5.1. #3 is AD at 4. There are like 3 more guys around 4. Then it drops off again. Giannis at #10 is about 3. Thats not 3 buckets, thats 3 pts. So 1.5 successful post-ups per game from Giannis (which is good for top 10 in NBA). Tatum is at 1.7 pts from post up, #33 in NBA and top 20 among non centers. I think that honestly, nobody really posts up anymore. But among PF, Tatum is in the upper half. There are 30 teams, lets assume the average rotation is 9 guys. So thats 270. He ranks 33rd, which is top 12% of entire NBA. Furthermore of the 33 in front of him, 17 are centers. So if we remove them , hes #16. Lets assume that the average # of noncenters in rotations is 7. Times 30 teams that 210. So among non centers, hes in the top 8% (16/210). So I would say he posts up an average amount for a PF, more than 88% of the entire NBA, and more than 92% of non-center NBA players who are top 9 in their respective rotations. Granted that his minutes are helping him here. Interesting stats and i agree hardly anyone posts up anymore. Tatum also plays the three i gonna guess about 33% of the time.. Does he post up more or less at SF than PF? Who and what determines what a post up is? I love numbers but remember the fuzzy number comment a few years back.? Granted it came from a person with a low IQ but it was an honest reply i think.. To me post up means you get your position before you receive the ball.
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Post by dfries13 on Apr 14, 2023 14:01:32 GMT -5
Im taking ESPNs word for it re: what counts as a post-up. I agree that it may be subject to someones interpretation. Fine. My guess its AI or simply an old fashioned computer which supplies the numbers to ESPN... I just hope Perkins and Steven A Smith arn't involved with supplying any numbers. Personally I trust Cole much more than ESPN his answer is clear.....
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Post by drewski6 on Apr 14, 2023 14:39:31 GMT -5
Im taking ESPNs word for it re: what counts as a post-up. I agree that it may be subject to someones interpretation. Fine. My guess its AI or simply an old fashioned computer which supplies the numbers to ESPN... I just hope Perkins and Steven A Smith arn't involved with supplying any numbers. Personally I trust Cole much more than ESPN his answer is clear..... I dont disagree. I said that I think Smart posts-up, probaly second most on the team to Tatum. And you asked when the heck does Tatum ever post up? And the most accurate answer is : doesnt have to be that often to lead the team. But I added context that its an NBA thing , more than a Celtics thing, which is why I went searching for the data. But I agree. Tatum probably posts up 3 times a game, which isnt a ton - but good enough to lead the team. And Smart is probably 2x / game on avg. Then prob you have Jaylen and Al at 1x/game at average. But the surprising part is these low totals are pretty middle of the pack compared to other teams.
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Post by drewski6 on Apr 14, 2023 14:44:03 GMT -5
I would personally define a post-up play, as a play that initiates with offensive players back to basket with a defender between the player and the basket. I guess it doesnt have to result in a shot to be a post up play. For example, lets say Al has the ball underneath with his back to the basket, and Jaylen cuts to the hoop, and Al hits him with a slick bounce pass for an easy two. I would consider that a post-up assist, even though the actual scorer (Jaylen) wasnt posting up.
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Post by dfries13 on Apr 14, 2023 16:56:13 GMT -5
I'm not disagreeing with you much on any of this Drew. What i have seen watching games this year.. Boston this year is near the bottom of the league on any form of postups. . Most nights it's a three point shooting contest. .We are 2nd in attempt % just slightly behind the Warriors. It's not what i call interesting or entertaining to watch It's a Bore. More threes every year? Less viewers. Look like i'm not alone The 2022-23 NBA regular season averaged 1.59 million viewers across ABC, ESPN and TNT, down slightly in viewership from last season (1.61M). If one is looking for the most unflattering interpretation, this season ranks among the least-watched of the past 30 years — ahead of the two COVID-shortened seasons of 2019-20 (1.55M) and 2020-21 (1.36M) and two years of the league’s mid-2000s lull (2002-03: 1.58M; 2006-07 1.52M). That the past four seasons rank among the six least-watched.....
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Post by cole on Apr 14, 2023 17:26:07 GMT -5
I would personally define a post-up play, as a play that initiates with offensive players back to basket with a defender between the player and the basket. I guess it doesnt have to result in a shot to be a post up play. For example, lets say Al has the ball underneath with his back to the basket, and Jaylen cuts to the hoop, and Al hits him with a slick bounce pass for an easy two. I would consider that a post-up assist, even though the actual scorer (Jaylen) wasnt posting up. You can face up in a post. Obviously you can pass out of the post. Kareem had a ton of assists. McHale didn't
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Post by cole on Apr 14, 2023 19:23:52 GMT -5
The flying knee..a new move for Beverly
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Post by drewski6 on Apr 15, 2023 7:38:50 GMT -5
I would personally define a post-up play, as a play that initiates with offensive players back to basket with a defender between the player and the basket. I guess it doesnt have to result in a shot to be a post up play. For example, lets say Al has the ball underneath with his back to the basket, and Jaylen cuts to the hoop, and Al hits him with a slick bounce pass for an easy two. I would consider that a post-up assist, even though the actual scorer (Jaylen) wasnt posting up. You can face up in a post. Obviously you can pass out of the post. Kareem had a ton of assists. McHale didn't Kareem was a bit before my time. But I think an interesting Q for you would be: who do you consider the best at it? Best player at posting up, and having that post up effect the outcome positively. For me, it was Duncan. The offense which won a championship like every other year in a 6-7 year window, kind of revolved around Duncan in the post up. And he was so good at it.
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Post by drewski6 on Apr 15, 2023 7:39:59 GMT -5
I would personally define a post-up play, as a play that initiates with offensive players back to basket with a defender between the player and the basket. I guess it doesnt have to result in a shot to be a post up play. For example, lets say Al has the ball underneath with his back to the basket, and Jaylen cuts to the hoop, and Al hits him with a slick bounce pass for an easy two. I would consider that a post-up assist, even though the actual scorer (Jaylen) wasnt posting up. You can face up in a post. Obviously you can pass out of the post. Kareem had a ton of assists. McHale didn't The over the shoulder pass from a post-up to a cutting teammate for an easy 2 is a thing of absolute beauty.
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Post by cole on Apr 15, 2023 8:12:54 GMT -5
You can face up in a post. Obviously you can pass out of the post. Kareem had a ton of assists. McHale didn't Kareem was a bit before my time. But I think an interesting Q for you would be: who do you consider the best at it? Best player at posting up, and having that post up effect the outcome positively. For me, it was Duncan. The offense which won a championship like every other year in a 6-7 year window, kind of revolved around Duncan in the post up. And he was so good at it. Kareem, Shaq come to mind. Bill Walton obviously. But I'm going to agree with wilt and say meadowlark lemon.
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